Article Figures & Data
Figures
- Figure 1. Study cohort.
- Figure 2. The 44 predefined symptoms from the questionnaire.
Tables
Study sample Number of symptoms Number of symptoms with GP contact n % n % Mean (SD) n % P-valuea Study sample Overall 49 706 100.0 268 772 100.0 5.4 (4.39) 58 370 21.7 Sex <0.001 Male 23 240 46.8 110 655 41.2 4.8 (3.94) 24 526 22.2 Female 26 466 53.2 158 117 58.8 6.0 (4.67) 33 844 21.4 Age, years <0.001 20–39 12 251 24.6 80 026 29.8 6.5 (4.69) 12 145 15.2 40–59 20 305 40.9 109 196 40.6 5.4 (4.32) 21 822 20.0 60–79 15 748 31.7 71 639 26.7 4.6 (4.01) 21 554 30.1 ≥80 1 402 2.8 7 911 2.9 5.6 (4.43) 2 849 36.0 Symptom burden
(Total number of symptoms experienced)<0.001 0 4 223 8.5 1–2 10 524 21.2 15 951 5.9 2 582 16.2 3–5 14 878 29.9 58 577 21.8 10 486 17.9 6–10 13 589 27.3 103 596 38.5 21 264 20.5 11–15 4 930 9.9 61 772 23, 0 15 126 24.5 ≥16 1 562 3.1 28 876 10.7 8 912 30.9 Influence on daily activities <0.001 None at all 43 989 16.5 4 287 9.75 Slight 92 3304 34.7 13 112 14.2 Moderate 64 642 24.3 15 186 23.5 Quite a bit 43 905 16.5 15 118 34.4 Extreme 21 452 8.1 10 667 49.7 Symptom concern <0.001 None at all 100 615 37.9 9 478 9.4 Slight 80 504 30.3 15 562 19.3 Moderate 44 538 16.8 13 974 31.3 Quite a bit 26 427 10.0 11 640 44.1 Extreme 13 272 5.0 7 743 58.3 ↵ aPercentages might not fully match with total numbers due to missing information. Missing information does not exceed 1%. Tested for difference between groups with χ2 test. SD = standard deviation.
- Table 2. Odds ratios for GP contact with a symptom stratified in three different symptom categories
OR for GP contact with a symptom Category 1: All symptoms Category 2: Top five symptoms concerning likelihood of GP contact Category 3: Bottom five symptoms concerning likelihood of GP contact OR crude AOR 95% CI OR crude AOR 95% CI OR crude AOR 95% CI Sexa Male 1 1 – 1 1 – 1 1 – Female 0.96 1.02 0.97 to 1.06 1.00 1.18 1.05 to 1.33 0.98 0.98 0.89 to 1.08 Age, yearsa 20–39 1 1 – 1 1 – 1 1 – 40–59 1.39 1.23 1.16 to 1.30 1.42 1.28 1.11 to 1.49 1.27 1.13 1.00 to 1.28 60–79 2.44 2.21 2.09 to 2.34 2.77 2.46 2.10 to 2.87 2.42 2.07 1.83 to 2.34 ≥80 3.38 3.15 2.78 to 3.56 3.65 3.51 2.54 to 4.86 4.45 3.86 2.97 to 5.02 Influence on daily activitiesb None at all, reference 1 1 – 1 1 – 1 1 – Slight 1.53 1.49 1.42 to 1.57 1.11 1.07 0.89 to 1.29 1.85 1.66 1.46 to 1.89 Moderate 2.86 2.65 2.51 to 2.79 1.78 1.72 1.42 to 2.08 3.73 3.11 2.71 to 3.55 Quite a bit 4.89 4.35 4.12 to 4.60 2.89 2.72 2.22 to 3.34 6.49 5.06 4.37 to 5.87 Extreme 9.33 7.62 7.12 to 8.15 4.84 4.25 3.31 to 5.46 13.34 9.67 8.01 to 11.69 Symptom concernb None at all, reference 1 1 – 1 1 – 1 1 – Slight 2.31 2.12 2.03 to 2.22 1.36 1.42 1.20 to 1.70 2.53 2.24 2.00 to 2.50 Moderate 4.40 3.82 3.63 to 4.02 2.03 2.12 1.76 to 2.55 5.35 4.40 3.88 to 5.00 Quite a bit 7.59 6.40 6.04 to 6.79 3.22 3.53 2.89 to 4.32 10.03 7.89 6.78 to 9.20 Extreme 13.53 10.74 9.94 to 11.61 5.40 5.78 4.54 to 7.37 15.78 12.01 9.71 to 14.85 Symptom burden (total number of symptoms experienced)a 1–2, reference 1 1 – 1 1 – 1 1 – 3–5 1.13 0.89 0.86 to 0.94 0.82 0.75 0.54 to 1.05 1.24 1.10 0.85 to 1.43 6–10 1.34 0.86 0.81 to 0.92 0.67 0.55 0.40 to 0.76 1.67 1.20 0.93 to 1.55 11–15 1.69 0.85 0.79 to 0.92 0.59 0.43 0.31 to 0.61 2.45 1.32 1.01 to 1.72 ≥16 2.36 0.97 0.87 to 1.08 0.60 0.45 0.31 to 0.64 4.00 1.58 1.19 to 2.10 ↵ Category 1 = total symptom pool: all 44 different symptom experiences. Category 2 = top five symptoms with GP contact: blood in urine, shortness of breath, pain when urinating, coughing up blood, and lump or swollen lymph node. Category 3 = bottom five symptoms with GP contact: increase in waist circumference, abdominal bloating, constipation, change in stool texture, and change in stool frequency. AOR = adjusted odds ratio. OR = odds ratio. aAdjusted for general concern, concern about the symptom, influence on daily activities, age and sex. bAdjusted for general concern, symptom burden, age and sex.
Age groups, years All 20–39 40–59 60–79 ≥80 OR crude AORa 95% CI AORb 95% CI AORb 95% CI AORb 95% CI AORb 95% CI Influence on daily activities None at all, reference 1 1 – 1 – 1 – 1 – 1 – Slight 1.53 1.49 1.42 to 1.57 1.77 1.59 to 1.97 1.48 1.37 to 1.61 1.39 1.28 to 1.50 1.74 1.40 to 2.16 Moderate 2.86 2.65 2.51 to 2.79 3.05 2.73 to 3.41 2.85 2.61 to 3.11 2.38 2.19 to 2.59 2.17 1.70 to 2.77 Quite a bit 4.89 4.35 4.12 to 4.60 5.18 4.60 to 5.82 4.52 4.12 to 4.97 3.97 3.61 to 4.35 3.50 2.71 to 4.52 Extreme 9.33 7.62 7.12 to 8.15 9.57 8.35 to 10.98 7.93 7.09 to 8.86 6.51 5.79 to7.30 6.11 4.56 to 8.20 Symptom concern None at all, reference 1 1 – 1 – 1 – 1 – 1 – Slight 2.31 2.12 2.03 to 2.22 2.52 2.29 to 2.77 2.36 2.18 to 2.55 1.75 1.62 to 1.88 1.36 1.10 to 1.70 Moderate 4.40 3.82 3.63 to 4.02 4.62 4.16 to 5.13 4.48 4.11 to 4.88 3.04 2.79 to 3.31 1.89 1.48 to 2.40 Quite a bit 7.59 6.40 6.04 to 6.79 7.78 6.90 to 8.77 7.50 6.80 to 8.27 4.98 4.52 to 5.48 3.10 2.33 to 4.11 Extreme 13.53 10.74 9.94 to 11.61 13.17 11.23 to 15.45 12.03 10.59 to 13.67 8.76 7.70 to 9.97 5.00 3.50 to 7.15 Symptom burden (total number of symptoms experienced) 1–2, reference 1 1 – 1 – 1 – 1 – 1 – 3–5 1.13 1.08 1.02 to 1.15 0.86 0.73 to 1.02 0.85 0.77 to 0.94 0.96 0.88 to 1.05 1.01 0.73 to 1.39 6–10 1.34 1.22 1.15 to 1.29 0.91 0.77 to 1.07 0.77 0.69 to 0.85 0.96 0.97 to 1.06 1.10 0.79 to 1.51 11–15 1.69 1.38 1.28 to 1.48 0.88 0.74 to 1.06 0.78 0.69 to 0.88 0.92 0.81 to 1.04 1.20 0.80 to 1.79 ≥16 2.36 1.76 1.60 to 1.95 0.95 0.77 to 1.18 0.90 0.76 to 1.07 1.02 0.83 to 1.25 1.24 0.73 to 2.10 ↵ aAdjusted for general concern, symptom burden, age, and sex. bAdjusted for general concern, symptom burden and sex.
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What triggers healthcare-seeking behaviour when experiencing a symptom? Results from a population-based survey
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